Thai officials confirm 20th case of bird flu

A THAI woman has tested positive for bird flu, senior health officials said yesterday, making her the 20th person to have caught the deadly disease since it hit the country two years ago.

“A 50-year-old woman is confirmed to have bird flu after all three lab tests showed positive results,” said head of the Department of Medical Sciences Paijit Warachit. “Her condition is improving and I believe she will be well soon,” Paijit added.

Thirteen Thais have died of bird flu since the H5N1 virus struck in late 2003 and the woman was the third person to have caught bird flu in Thailand this year.